


Old Friend

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Juris Imprudence [27]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-07-11
Packaged: 2018-07-22 23:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7457578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the comment_fic prompt: "Stargate Multiverse, Jack O'Neill/Daniel Jackson, Lawyer AU."</p><p>In which one of Daniel's old flames hires WOW and Jack is...apprehensive about her presence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Friend

“Sir,” Lorne said.  
  
Jack lifted his head. “What’s up?”  
  
Lorne handed him a manila folder labeled _Gardner, S_ and a cup of coffee, just how Jack liked it. Since Jack was a senior partner and handled admin instead of cases, he didn’t have an assigned paralegal, had pick of the paralegals he wanted when he deigned to take a case, but he had no cases currently, so he wasn’t sure why a paralegal was bringing him a file.  
  
“Ms. Carter’s newest case is a copyright infringement suit,” Lorne said. “Sarah Gardner is an archaeologist of some high repute, and she claims her most recent paper was plagiarized in a best-selling but rather pulpy super-geek mystery.”  
  
“And does Sam need my help on this case?” Jack asked.  
  
“Ms. Gardner was in the same undergraduate archaeology program as Mr. Jackson.” Lorne flipped open the folder and let Jack stare at the photo at the top of the file, of a young Daniel (who looked so much like the Daniel Jack had met in that prison in Iraq) sitting opposite a young, pretty blonde woman, both of them laughing over cups of coffee.  
  
Jack could tell by their body language that they were close friends, possibly intimate.  
  
“Ms. Gardner selected our firm on Mr. Jackson’s recommendation,” Lorne said.  
  
“I read you.” Jack smiled tightly. “Thank you.”  
  
Lorne inclined his head politely and ducked out of Jack’s office.  
  
As soon as he was out of earshot, Jack pawed through the file idly, but this was silly, really. He and Daniel had a solid relationship. They cared deeply about each other. They’d officially been together for...six months now? Some pretty blonde woman wasn’t going to turn Daniel’s head. If Sam couldn’t, this Sarah Gardner person couldn’t either.  
  
But then Jack heard musical laughter. He poked his head out of the office and saw Daniel walking arm-in-arm with Sarah Gardner, who’d become more beautiful with age. Sam was walking with them, talking animatedly, and led them into the conference room. When Sam closed the door, Sarah’s laughter cut off, but Jack saw Sarah sit beside Daniel opposite Sam at the conference table.  
  
Jack retreated back into his office to pretend to do some paperwork lest the paralegals started taking bets on him.   
  
Daniel, Sam, and the lovely Sarah spent hours in the conference room. Zelenka trotted in and out with paperwork. Lorne brought them lunch, then mid-afternoon snacks.  
  
Elizabeth and Richard left the office at five. By five-thirty, the entire rest of the staff was gone.  
  
Jack had reorganized his bookshelf three times, filled out two of the dozen employee evaluations he was supposed to complete, and straightened up his desk before he heard voices spill from the conference room.  
  
“-Look forward to working with you further, Ms. Carter.” Sarah Gardner had a fancy British accent.  
  
“Please, call me Sam.”  
  
“Sam, then.”  
  
“Hopefully we can get this resolved as quickly and equitably as possible,” Sam said. “Do you need me to show you out, or…?”  
  
“I’ve got this,” Daniel said. “Thanks, Sam. Good night.”  
  
“Night, Daniel.” Sam bustled to her office.  
  
Jack edged closer to his door, listening.   
  
“Do you have plans tonight, Daniel? I’d like to take you to dinner.” There was flirtation all over that tone.  
  
Jack curled his hands into fists.  
  
“That’s very sweet of you,” Daniel said, “but I have plans pretty much every night.”  
  
“Oh? Seeing someone? I’d heard you were married, but that it ended - badly.”  
  
“I am seeing someone,” Daniel said.  
  
“Is it quite serious?” There was still a hint of flirtation in her tone.   
  
“Quite,” Daniel said. “In fact - Jack? Are you still here?”  
  
Jack poked his head out of his office. “Daniel. You’re here late.”  
  
Daniel raised his eyebrows, gaze knowing. “As are you. I’d like you to meet an old college friend of mine, Sarah Gardner. Sarah, this is Jack O’Neill.”  
  
Jack stepped out of his office, extended a hand. “Hello, Sarah.”  
  
She shook his hand, eyes wide. “Jack O’Neill? As in -”  
  
“Yes,” Daniel said.

“Oh.”  
  
“My ex-wife’s name is Sara,” Jack said. “No ‘h’, though.”  
  
Sarah snatched her hand back. “I didn’t mean to bring up any awful memories.”  
  
“None at all. Sara’s a fine woman. We parted as well as we could, and now I have Daniel.” Jack put a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, squeezed gently.  
  
“I suppose I ought to thank you,” Sarah said, “for making sure Daniel made it home from Iraq alive.”  
  
“We saved each other,” Jack said quietly.  
  
“Anyway, I’d better show Sarah out, and then you owe me dinner,” Daniel said.  
  
Sarah laughed. “Is Daniel still an awful cook?”  
  
“He’s getting better.” Jack smiled, waved, and Daniel led Sarah to the main door clients used.   
  
When Daniel returned, he pulled Jack into a soft kiss. “Hope you weren’t too jealous.”  
  
“Not at all,” Jack said.  
  
Daniel cast him another knowing look, curled his hand through Jack’s, and said, “Let’s go home.”


End file.
